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November 30, 2009 48 comments
There are plenty of names people normally associate with Santa Cruz: Peter Mel, Anthony Ruffo, Ken "Skindog" Collins, Flea...certainly the name O'Neill has been branded into the identity of this scruffy little Northern California surf town.
But for those who have lived and surfed here for any length of time, there is another name that is equally known, respected and admired: Doug Haut. Doug Haut started surfing in Santa Cruz in 1957 -- before wetsuits, before leashes, before the university, before crowds. View Non-Flash Version
"Back then, the town closed up at 6:00pm and it was done," Doug laughs. "They rolled up the sidewalks and everybody went to bed. Houses rented for $75. There weren't a lot of surfers around -the Van Dykes, Jim Foley and his dad, Don Schneider, Danny Reed and those guys."
"Right now, I'm shaping everything -shortboards, traditional longboards, highperformance longboards, kiteboards, SUPs, mini-noseriders, hybrids, Pumpkin Seeds...." -- Doug Haut
In 1959 Doug split town to spend a winter surfing on the West Side at Makaha. While there, he fell in love with the powerful Hawaiian waves and easy aloha living and decided to stay awhile. He made enough
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money to survive by sanding boards for the once-proud Inter-Island brand. Doug also
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"I lived in Hawaii off and on for about six years," Doug says. "I went to school over there, too, at the University of Hawaii. Mainly I lived on the North Shore and in Honolulu. Did a lot of Honolulu surfing. Oh God, it was so good. I used to work on all the local guys' boards: Conrad Cunha, Buddy Boy...and then I started shaping over there on my own. Sanding Diffenderfer's boards for all those
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"Clean lines. That's what Diffenderfer taught me; curves and foils." Haut was invited to compete in the prestigious Duke Kahanmoku Invitational in 1964, and by '65 he returned to Northern California and set up his first shop. "I started shaping locally here for George Olson," Doug explains. "He was getting behind with his orders so I started helping him out. And then this guy Gale Yount had a surf shop in Soquel -- a barn; an old barn back there. Gale went into the Coast Guard and I got his barn and all his tools. And I started my own shop in '65. That was the beginning of the Haut label." By the late Sixties, Doug had achieved guru-level status throughout Northern California and every hot surfer in Santa Cruz was riding his boards: Roger Adams, Gene Hall, Gary Venturini, Mark Angell, Davey Seltzer...if you saw a hot surfer on wave at Steamer Lane, Pleasure Point or the Rivermouth, he was riding a Haut. Doug's boards have always been known for their clean lines, perfect symmetries and an absence of gimmicks or affectations. "My trademarks are my rails and my templates. It's like a signature. Every shaper has a signature rail or signature template; just like an artist has a certain brushstroke. I think shapers have that same kind of characteristic about how they select their rails and templates -- it's an unconscious signature." These days, with the economy the way it is, Doug no longer carries as many boards in the shop as he once did: "I am still getting a lot of custom orders, but the floor movement is not what it used to be," he says. "You can't really inventory the 150 boards you need in a store. You want to get a guy to walk in the shop and there's the board. Now, you only have one 6'4" instead of having six 6'4"s. "The stoke is still there," he adds. "The entry level is still there, but the first boards guys are buying are Chinese boards and Costco boards and all the cheap boards. I can't compete against those; no way. They sell wholesale for less than my material and labor costs." As he has done throughout his storied career, Doug is adapting to fit the times by staying flexible with market trends and customer needs: "Right now, I'm shaping everything -- shortboards, traditional longboards, high-performance longboards, kiteboards, SUPs, mini-noseriders, hybrids, Pumpkin Seeds...." Another key to Haut's resiliency is the fact that he has been at his current Swift Street address since 1969. Doug explains: "Luckily, I'm grandfathered in. If I had to build a new shop now, starting from scratch, I couldn't do it. You would have to put in so many systems it would cost me thousands and thousands of dollars -- explosion-proof lights and all kinds of different ventilation systems. I just couldn't do it." So, with that, it's easy to see that Doug Haut and his venerable surf shop -- a veritable Santa Cruz surfing landmark -- isn't going anywhere. Chances are he'll keep mowing 'em out back, and selling 'em out front for years to come. If there are fewer on the floor than there used to be, so be it -- Doug was here before; he'll be here after. "Everybody's ideas are out there," he says. "I'll look at a design and expand on it and make changes to it I'd like to see. That's the way I've always done it, and how every shaper -- Diffenderfer, all those guys -- have always done it; probably the way it's always going to be." MORE SURF SHOP STORIES SURF SHOP DIRECTORY MORE SURF NEWS SURFLINE HOME PAGE
Comments: (48) Add Your Comment Alan Souza 06/14/2016 07:05 AM
I get my new Haut tomorrow and am very excited. I was on the Haut team in the 60's and have had so many good days riding Doug's boards that I can only remember a fraction of the. When I went away to college I stopped surfing in contests and figured Doug wanted to build boards for guys that were competing. I should have kept riding them even If I had to pay for them. . Found and old Haut bump that was too big for me and got 6th in Tiger espere's big wave contest. The stoke is back! Thanks Doug. east coast Bob 01/15/2016 01:10 PM
My second board was a Haut 6'8" light blue pigmented bottom and rails,white deck round pin single fin purchasedfrom Sid Abruzzi at WaterBrothers in 1979 surfed struggles up to 15'- moved to San Diego in 1983 got whacked very deep at stone steps blew mind top memories of of my 40 years of surfing sadly I lost the board to fire at a house on Neptune ave. in Encinitas in 1984 ?? Thankyou Doug Haut ?? east coast Bob 01/15/2016 01:09 PM
My second board was a Haut 6'8" light blue pigmented bottom and rails,white deck round pin single fin purchasedfrom Sid Abruzzi at WaterBrothers in 1979 surfed struggles up to 15'- moved to San Diego in 1983 got whacked very deep at stone steps blew mind top memories of of my 40 years of surfing sadly I lost the board to fire at a house on Neptune ave. in Encinitas in 1984 ?? Thankyou Doug Haut ?? alan souza 11/18/2015 01:04 AM
Doug is the master. When I was on the 60's team and would order a board he would often build it different that what I wanted and just say, "try it". It would work better that any of the ideas that I had. When I turned 65 I managed to hand 10 and make it back on an old Haut bump in Kauai. Doug's boards have always been magic. Thanks Doug for those great years of surfing. J Nichols 11/10/2015 03:04 PM
Whatever happened to Angell and Dave Adams? Or Dave's crazy brother Randy, and his loopy friend Robbie Gong? (ODs?) But the craziest of all bar none, even Wild Nick, was Bruce "Kink" Phillipy. He could shred; but I hear he's dead. Did he really let a train sever his empty head? What a loss to humanity. Bill Hennessey 11/01/2015 06:22 AM
I rode 4 of your boards in the 70'S ANand 80's. Had a "fish" that was great. All my buddies always wanted ride it. Many great memories made with those boards all over the East coast, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Thanks. David King 07/19/2013 02:13 PM
After my first board, a Yater long board back in 1969, I've surfed Doug's boards to this day. Seems like everyone one was "The best board I've ever ridden". I'm 59 years old, still surfing his short boards,and while the newest is a bit wider and longer to help the old man paddle in, once in it rips! Doug is a true craftsman, waterman, fisherman, and friend. ac jarrett 09/21/2011 08:51 PM
dad bought a 84 Haut High Energy 6'0" board for me in a yardsale in the mountains of NC for $5 in 2002..at the time only the center fin remained and the side fins gone and glassed over...was my first board and incredibly difficult to learn on...bought other boards along the way and kind of forgot about it..recently pulled it out, drill out spots for 2 fin boxes on the side, returned it to its original thruster state, now absolutely the best board i have ever ridden..haut makes magic boards Michael J Mahoney 03/26/2011 01:47 PM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name
When the drop is late, ledgy and steep.. HAUT, NO DOUBT! I have a vintage 9'6" For Pleasure Only bump over here in the islands and am still trying to get the 7'6" hybrid over here. (the most incredible of all the boards you shaped for me.) Doug. Thank you for the incredible boards and friendship. You and your wonderful family mean more to so many of us than you know. Our love to you, Suzi, Misses S and B. xos mike and trish To the old friends posting here, we miss you and wish you much happiness buck 03/21/2011 10:38 PM
UNCLE DOUG!!! my mentor Bruce 01/10/2011 04:19 PM
Great boards Doug! I have three of your boards. One that I surfed on from the early '70s, one 40th anniversary board (never ridden)and one I ride now from 2000. Keep cranking them out!! Scattershot 10/29/2010 05:58 PM
Got a brand new, green 8'7" (who else knew I needed an 8'7"?) in 1990. It was the best "modern longboard" I've ever ridden. Finally put a stake in it 5 years ago in a stunning piece of performance art. Thanks Doug. Gale Huff 01/14/2010 09:02 AM
Old Coast Guard Friend of Gale Younts - would love to locate him - anyone help? Roger Adams 01/12/2010 12:54 PM
When I was around 16 years old Doug Haut came up to me one day while I was surfing the San Lorenzo River mouth and offered me his surfboard. He said to me here try this one. From that day on I rode Doug's boards. Because of Doug's awesome surfboards I was able to achieve USSA, Western Surfing Association AAAA ranking and I rode one of Doug's boards in the 1972 World Surfing Championships held at Ocean Beach, San Diego. I will always be grateful to Doug for his friendship, support and generosity. Amy T. Baltus 01/03/2010 09:47 PM
I grew up in Santa Cruz, and I learned surfing here in So. CA. waters. By brother and friends have spoken highly of Haut. One day when I return to the cold waters of Santa Cruz, I will go to the westside and see about adding a Haut board to my quill. For now, I send good wishes to the Haut surfboards.
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